


Flagellum Dei

by microwaveslayer



Series: Adventures in Aesthetics [6]
Category: Star Control
Genre: M/M, Sexual Content, VUX sociology, Xenophilia, Xenophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 01:26:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4687217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/microwaveslayer/pseuds/microwaveslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As predicted, Admiral ZEX and his human lover are brought before the VUX High Council, but a higher power has some tact and foresight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flagellum Dei

**Author's Note:**

> I think the High Council is the highest VUX form of government in canon, but let's play pretend and canon stretcher for a little bit.
> 
> I am also incredibly sorry the scene with the High Council is so bad.

“Admiral, there's an incoming transmission,” the VUX working communications reported.  
“Where from?” Admiral ZEX asked, eye widening in curiosity.  
“It's . . . from Homeworld, Admiral.”  
With those four words, the bridge froze. Some VUX tensed in fear, rightfully so. Others cringed, angry and ready to act upon their emotions.  
“Whatever could they want?” Admiral ZEX asked.  
The VUX stared at the screen and relayed, “They wish to speak to you, Admiral ZEX. You and your human pet.”  
Those few words pushed the rest of the crew into stillness. They stared at the admiral, who didn't seem bothered.  
“Relay it to Captain Wilde,” Admiral ZEX said. “We'll have to take the trip, even if his whole fleet isn't up to it.”  
The VUX nodded, sending the message onward, to the human captain.  
“This is all his fault,” sighed one of the VUX at navigations. “I mean, if he didn't feel the need to screw every interesting creature, we wouldn't have to worry about things.”  
Admiral ZEX's eye widened and he asked the VUX, “What's your name?”  
The VUX turned and scoffed, “PUX. You'd think after years in your fleet, you'd remember names.”  
“Ah, no,” Admiral ZEX said light-heartedly. “I don't seem to recall any PUX.” He waved one arm ad two VUX picked up PUX, dragging him off.  
Livid, PUX yelled, “You're a pervert and the reason we're all going to die!”  
Once the door closed, Admiral ZEX scoffed, “You would think he would be a bit more grateful. I gave a lot of the condemned refuge.”  
As a VUX woman sat down, taking PUX's place, she scoffed, “I think he was jealous, sir. You have a wonderful relationship with the Captain.”  
“Thank you,” Admiral ZEX sighed.  
“MUX, sir,” she said, offering him a gleeful gesture of gratitude. “I hope you don't hurt PUX too badly.”  
“Of course not,” Admiral ZEX said. “If he takes and spits my grace into my eye, we'll simply let him handle himself against the High Council.”  
A shudder ran through the crew. No one said anything for a long while.  
“Sir, there's a reply from your lover,” the VUX at communications reported. “He and three of his crew are coming aboard.”  
“Wonderful,” Admiral ZEX said, getting up. “I'll have to greet them.”  
He turned and left the bridge. His crew were capable and no one was as stupid as to be another PUX.

* * *

When Wilde greeted ZEX, it was by pulling the VUX close, dipping him, and planting kisses up his snout. ZEX laughed and wrapped his arms around his human love.  
“I'm very glad to see you too,” ZEX said as Wilde pulled him up.  
Someone behind the captain cleared their throat and ZEX glanced behind him.  
“You brought friends,” ZEX noted.  
“Yeah,” Wilde said, shrugging. “Ralph wanted to make sure you weren't taking me captive, Alexsi wanted to hang out with DAX, and Erich is committed to ensuring I stay safe.”  
“Oh wonderful,” ZEX said, staring at the human woman with her arms crossed.  
“I had to make sure you didn't take him as part of your weird mating rituals,” she said firmly.  
“The only ritual we've had is probably sleeping together,” ZEX informed her.  
“Gross.”  
“Ralph, don't be rude,” Wilde said.  
“She's entitled to an opinion about how I treat you,” ZEX teased. “I think you're a good lover.”  
“I don't want to hear it,” Ralph said. “Just . . . show me to your engines.”  
“Oh, of course,” ZEX said. “We've had some, ah, staff changes recently and I think someone to help YEX in the engine room would be a miracle.”  
Ralph nodded as ZEX waved over a VUX. The new VUX wrapped an arm around Ralph's arm, guiding her along.  
“Is she the first human woman your crew have seen?” Wilde asked, keeping an arm around ZEX's waist.  
“Yes, actually,” ZEX replied. “But if she can run a ship, she's more than welcome.”  
Wilde chuckled and told him, “Expect her to get feisty. She's not good with aliens.”  
“Neither is our engineer,” ZEX admitted. He turned to Alexsi and told him, “DAX should be in his rooms. He's, ah, sulking after a bitter argument we had.”  
Alexsi grinned, hugging ZEX before darting off. ZEX chuckled at the enthusiastic human.  
“Ah, sir,” Erich said softly.  
“Yes?” ZEX asked, turning to him. ZEX stared at Erich before asking, “Are you the Neo-Puritan?”  
“Yes, sir,” Erich said with a nod. “I am.”  
“I admire your philosophy,” ZEX said warmly. “It's a very noble thing to avoid chemicals of all sorts. But I must ask, why would you choose a space-faring venture?”  
“Gregory and I go back a ways. We're friends and I owe him,” Erich explained. “So I signed onto the Jokanaan to keep him safe.”  
“Very noble. I think you and DAX would work well together discussing the security details,” ZEX told him. “He's very concerned for my safety.”  
“I'll have a few words with DAX,” Erich said. “He has to be a good man if he's worried about his captain.”  
ZEX chuckled and told him, “His room is down the hall, near my own. He's sulking, like I said, so don't expect him to be too warm.”  
Erich shook his head. “I wouldn't expect every VUX to like humans.”  
ZEX chuckled and led Wilde and Erich down the hall. “Well, a majority of my crew tolerate and accept humans. Not in the ways I do, but they get along.”  
They paused before a door and ZEX gesture for Erich to enter.  
“If he gets irritable, just tell him you're Wilde's security detail,” ZEX said softly. “He'll understand.”  
Erich nodded and entered the room, dimly lit. Once the door closed, Wilde put his arm around ZEX.  
“I've got something to show you,” he told ZEX, kissing up his arm.  
“Captain, you scandalize me,” ZEX teased.  
Wilde chuckled and said, “Then let's go to bed,”  
ZEX agreed, “Let's.”  
Together, they stepped into ZEX's private quarters, falling into bed together. Wilde began planting kissed on ZEX's snout, moving his hips against the VUX.  
“If I didn't know any better, Gregory, I'd say you're happy to see me,” ZEX teased, sighing happily.  
Wilde admitted, “I had some work done.”  
“Oh?” ZEX said. “I hope you didn't get it because you care what I think.”  
“No,” Wilde told him. “I got it done because I wanted it done.”  
ZEX relaxed and expected to be absolutely ravaged by the human. Instead, Wilde held absolutely still, staring at something on the table beside the bed.  
“Is that . . . Supox wine?” Wilde asked softly.  
“It is,” ZEX answered.  
“Oh my good lord,” Wilde murmured, sniffling. “It's beautiful.”  
“I had planned on finishing it before you came over,” ZEX admitted. “DAX and I have been tense and I needed something to take the edge off.”  
Wilde looked down at ZEX, eyes wide in excitement and still watery with awe. He asked softly, “Can we?”  
“We can,” ZEX told him. He didn't want to admit it might be one of the few times he would see Wilde if things on Homeworld soured.

* * *

Captain Wilde stared at the skyscrapers that dominated the landscape. As the little ship descended, Erich leaned over, scowling.  
“Is it really safe?” Erich asked softly.  
Captain Wilde turned his head and told Erich, “If I didn't think it was safe, I would have brought Alexsi along too.”  
Erich sighed and told Captain Wilde, “You're absolutely impossible.”  
Captain Wilde shrugged and told him, “Being stubborn got us this far.”  
“It also got you a new plaything,” Erich whispered, leaning in closer and eyeing the VUX on the small landing craft with suspicion.  
“He's more than that,” Captain Wilde snapped. “He actually cares about me.”  
“But what if—”  
“And VUX do not eat their mates, post-coitus,” Captain Wilde said matter-of-factly. He crossed his arms and dared Erich to make any more arguments, mind moving light-years a minute to work up counter-arguments.  
“Gross,” Erich said. “Too much information.”  
“Any further worries?” Captain Wilde asked as the craft stopped smoothly. “Now would be the time to say something, Erich. I don't need you making a scene.”  
Erich shook his head. “You're impossible and I can't reason with you.”  
“I don't need to be reasoned with,” Captain Wilde said firmly.  
Before Erich could protest or even open his mouth to protest, Captain Wilde got up. At the direction of a kindly VUX woman, Captain Wilde stepped out of the craft, blinking for a few minutes before taking in the sight.  
This was the VUX home planet and Captain Wilde was amazed that he, of all people, would be standing on its soil.

* * *

One thing Captain Wilde was unfamiliar with was the layouts of VUX architecture.  
Admiral ZEX held Captain Wilde close to him as they entered a building. Captain Wilde gave the script a glance, a little disoriented at how different it was from any Earth language he knew.  
They got into a lift that Captain Wilde easily recognized. Instead of going up toward the chambers of the VUX High Council, the lift began descending.  
Admiral ZEX must have understood his confusion, because he whispered softly, “They have a low cavern, warm pools that are an absolute delight.”  
“So they live opposite of humans?” Captain Wilde asked softly.  
“I suppose you could put it that way,” Admiral ZEX said, tendrils twisting nervously together and gathering closer to his head the further down they went.  
Captain Wilde simply held the tip of Admiral ZEX's arm. He didn't know if it would be proper to kiss him here on a Homeworld that despised him, but Captain Wilde did give his arm a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

Captain Wilde marvelled at the large cavern. In the pool, on thrones, sat twelve VUX who all glared at him with undisguised disgust. He shrank back slightly before standing tall. He need to impress them or, if nothing else, assure them that humans were hardly the threat VUX seemed to think of them.  
One on the left spoke, a voice that Captain Wilde assumed was feminine, “ZEX, you've brought home another pet. Honestly, think of the scandal.”  
“I thought you had words of wisdom for him?” Admiral ZEX asked, almost venomous. His tendrils twisted and coiled tightly together, making him look ready to explode with fury. Captain Wilde reached out and took his arm, holding him and trying to keep him grounded.  
“Yes, but now half the planet has seen him,” a voice on the right spoke. “You could have been more discreet.”  
“I doubt it,” came a voice from the centre. “YUX, you remember his, ah, repeat offences. He made a show and mockery of the entire Council.”  
“Quite right,” spoke up the first voice. “I don't think he understands how much we've given up.”  
YUX blinked and then hummed in thought. “Perhaps killing them would be best.”  
“I wouldn't do that, if I were you,” Admiral ZEX snapped. “We're a cultured society, aren't we?”  
The VUX toward the centre hummed and asked the first VUX, “What do you think, WAZ?”  
WAZ hummed and got up from her throne, stepping up to Admiral ZEX. She passed him and stared at Captain Wilde, her single large eye staring into the human's.  
“I say, YUX,” WAZ said softly, “he seems intelligent enough, but can we afford any more scandal?”  
YUX hummed and asked, “What do you think, XED?”  
XED, the VUX in the centre, said, “I think killing them both would be a wise idea. That solves the problem of ZEX's offences past, present, and future.”  
“But what about my crew?” Captain Wilde interupted. “They're expecting me to come back.”  
YUX hummed in thought. She blinked and said, “Let's take a vote.”  
Two large VUX shooed Admiral ZEX and Captain Wilde from the room. Once the heavy, ornately carved doors slammed shut, Admiral ZEX pulled the human close.  
“I'm sorry,” he murmured, nuzzling his snout against the side of Wilde's face. “I'm so sorry, Gregory.”  
Wilde put his arms arms around the VUX and murmured, “It's okay. They won't kill us.”  
“If they do, I'm glad it would be with you,” ZEX said softly.  
Wilde leaned up and kissed the base of ZEX's snout. The VUX began shaking and Wilde rubbed his back.  
He hoped, at least, they wouldn't be killed.

* * *

Admiral ZEX and Captain Wilde stood tall when the time for their sentence to be read. Captain Wilde glanced over and gave Admiral ZEX a smile, patting his shoulder.  
Together, they stepped into the room.  
A single VUX stood before them. She narrowed her eye and told them, “By a vote, the High Council has decided your fate. I, High Council member, DEZ have been tasked with reading your sentence.”  
Captain Wilde reached over and pulled Admiral ZEX close. His hand rested on the VUX's waist, feeling every soft, controlled shudder.  
“The High Council finds you both guilty of xenophilia.”  
Beneath his hand, Admiral ZEX's breath hitched and he shifted, slightly moving out of Captain Wilde's grasp.  
“For your crimes, the VUX High Council sentences you, Admiral ZEX to death. For your crimes, the VUX High Council sentences you, human, to death.”  
“I have a name,” Captain Wilde said softly. “It's Captain Gregory Wilde. Human captain of the ship, Jokanaan.”  
Admiral ZEX pulled him close and hissed, “What are you doing?”  
“Stalling,” Captain Wilde answered, shrugging his shoulders.  
“Why? There's no hope of escaping this.”  
Behind them came a loud commotion. A voice raised, yelling, made Admiral ZEX and Captain Wilde turn toward the large, heavy doors. The doors creaked, forced inward by a single figure.  
“Hold it!” the figure shouted, head tendrils twisting and jingling with the golden and silver chains woven and clamped on them. “Hold everything, hold it! No one breathe!”  
DEZ blinked and got down on her knee. The High Council got up, kneeling in the water and sinking up to their shoulders.  
Admiral ZEX dropped to his knees, curled up in front of the VUX in silver and gold and white. Captain Wilde, seeing everyone else kneeling, got onto one knee, lowering his head.  
Arms tugged him to his feet and the figure told him, “Get up, you silly human.”  
Captain Wilde nodded, standing up. The VUX thought something was funny because she giggled.  
“Oh my stars above, you can nod,” she murmured in awe. “Humans are so strange.”  
“My lady,” YUX said softly. “You shouldn’t get too fond of the human.”  
“We decided he and ZEX should die,” DEZ piped in.  
“Die? The famous Admiral and his strange little pet?” the VUX woman in white asked. “But he's been such a wonderful strategist. Without him, we would have died.”  
The room fell silent and Captain Wilde looked up at the woman.  
“Who are you?” he asked. “I'm sorry if it's rude—”  
She giggled and said, “I am Her Majesty DIZ of the VUX people. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of me.” She turned and told Admiral ZEX, “Get up, you old fool. You'll hurt yourself kneeling like that.”  
Admiral ZEX slowly stood, his tendrils twisting and writhing with anxiety. He looked away from the queen.  
“Oh, it's alright,” she told him. “Come with me. I've just got to speak to your little pet.”  
“My lady,” WAZ interupted. “They're supposed to die.”  
“Death be damned,” Her Majesty DIZ said with a snort. “They're with me.”  
“But—”  
“Admiral ZEX is a brilliant man,” Her Majesty said. “If he thinks this human has potential, he's right. It's wrong to question a person's choices when they're a hero.”  
“I am hardly a hero, my lady,” Admiral ZEX murmured.  
“Nonsense. You're my favourite war hero.”  
Taking Captain Wilde's wrist in one arm and Admiral ZEX's arm in another, the queen led them out of the room.  
When he turned his head, Captain Wilde could've sworn the High Council looked disappointed.

* * *

“So tell me about all your adventures.”  
Admiral ZEX dipped his tongue into the goblet of wine. He hummed in thought and told her, “After a rogue night of passion with Gregory, we, ah, exchanged some ideas. I joined him in his foolish quest.”  
“It's not foolish,” Captain Wilde said, pushing away the plate of shellfish.  
The VUX queen begged him, “Eat. You need to.”  
“I can't eat shellfish,” Captain Wilde told her. “I'm allergic.”  
“To shellfish?”  
He nodded and pulled his goblet closer, sipping it and finding the wine incredibly strong.  
“How horrible,” the VUX queen gasped. “You can never truly appreciate VUX food, then.”  
He shrugged and told her, “I'll live.”  
Admiral ZEX chuckled and told Her Majesty DIZ, “He's quite the soldier.”  
“And so polite too!”  
Captain Wilde felt his face grow hot and he sipped his wine to distract himself.  
“But what happened after?” Her Majesty DIZ asked. “What's his end game?”  
“He wants the Ur-Quan defeated.”  
She gave a soft gasp, arms wrapped around themselves. “How horrifyingly large a task!”  
“I know he can do it,” Admiral ZEX said softly.  
Her Majesty DIZ hummed and said, “If you think he can do it, I know he can. You've never been wrong, Admiral.”  
“You flatter me.”  
“But you're such a hero,” she added. “I'm smitten and if I wasn't busy being a figurehead, I'd join right up with you.”  
“Well, if you wanted, there's always a space on board for you.”  
“You're such a rogue,' she giggled. “I think your human might get jealous.”  
“I'm not jealous,” Captain Wilde told her. “ZEX and I are happy together.”  
“Are you two?”  
ZEX answered, “He's got more stamina that I do.”  
Her Majesty DIZ laughed and told them, “Good thing I have a bed large enough for both of you to share.”  
“So we're not going to be killed?” Captain Wilde asked.  
She asked, “Why should you be? The Ur-Quan might seem to be a blessing, but it only drive us VUX to lower ourselves to the Thraddash's standards.”  
Admiral ZEX agreed, “We're more civilized than that.”  
“And that's why I trust you to bring them down.” Her Majesty DIZ held both of Captain Wilde's hands. “I believe in you.”

* * *

ZEX sighed, unbuttoning his robe and sliding out of it. He kicked off his boots and flopped down into the bed.  
Wilde chuckled and said, “That's a pretty sight.”  
“Do you want to make it prettier?” ZEX purred, looking up at him.  
Wilde nodded, peeling off his suit. “I have something new I want to try.”  
ZEX sat up, tendrils waving in curiosity. He blinked and watched as layer by layer came off, revealing more dark skin. When Wilde pulled off his boxers and tossed them aside, ZEX gasped.  
“You didn't.”  
“I did,” Wilde told him.  
“But did you do it for you?” ZEX asked, reaching over and pulling him into bed.  
Wilde nodded. “It wasn't dangerous or anything.”  
ZEX sighed and pulled Wilde close. “I think I like it. A shame humans aren't like us VUX but we can make do.”  
Wilde leaned in, nibbling at ZEX's snout. “Of course we'll make do.”  
He began moving his kisses southward, nibbling gently and taking his cues from the way ZEX sighed or hissed. When Wilde bit down on the jutting bone of ZEX's hip, the VUX let out a long moan.  
“There's a lady down the hall,” Wilde said, chuckling.  
“Manners be damned,” ZEX said, covering his eye with both arms. “You're an absolute devil.”  
Wilde chuckled, shifting and nudging the VUX's thighs apart. “I can be more than a devil.”  
“Do demonstrate,” ZEX said, hips wriggling to press against Wilde's.  
Wilde smirked and ran his thumb over the jut of ZEX's hip before pushing into him. ZEX closed his eye and gave a loud cry. He rolled his hips toward the human's.  
It took Wilde a few moments before he cold shift and move. He had to place a hand on the mattress to avoid falling over. Everything was so new and too much all at once. ZEX's tongue flicked over Wilde's jawline, spurring him on. Faster. Harder. Everything too new and all at once.  
And Wilde came undone before he knew it, panting and breathless and laying his head on ZEX's chest.  
“I take back my statement about your stamina,” ZEX teased.  
“Goddamn,” Wilde muttered. “I didn't even get you off.”  
“No, but you have a mouth that's better suited for it,” ZEX pointed out.  
Wilde chuckled and kissed ZEX's snout. “I love you so much.” His kissed moved to the VUX's shoulders and he nibbled gently. “So, so much.”  
ZEX sighed happily as Wilde shifted. His mouth moved down, over the pale, smooth flesh of ZEX's abdomen. Wilde paused to nibble on ZEX's hip, the VUX humming appreciatively.  
Wilde glanced up at ZEX, making sure the VUX was watching. He took him into his mouth, bobbing his head and making sure to make it as noisy as possible.  
“You're so lewd,” ZEX groaned. “Lewd and maddening, Gregory.”  
In response, Wilde picked up his pace. ZEX's gasp and groans grew with every second until he tensed and came undone with a long, pleased sigh.  
Wilde shifted and, making a face, swallowed. ZEX was bitter, more than Wilde was used to.  
“Lords above,” ZEX gasped. “Gregory, you didn't—”  
“Too late,” Wilde said, getting up. He went to the bathroom, washing out the taste with water as best he could. He came back, curling up next to ZEX.  
“You're also heavenly,” ZEX sighed, tendrils weaving into Wilde's dreadlocks. “An angel and a demon. The perfect combination.”

* * *

ZEX and Wilde showered together in the morning. ZEX hummed softly as the water—scalding hot—washed over them.  
After they were cleaned up from the prior night's activities, ZEX sat on the counter and watched Wilde care for his dreadlocks.  
“They're not at all like tendrils,” ZEX noted.  
“I'm not at all like a VUX,” Wilde pointed out, finishing his routine by tying his hair back to keep it out of his face.  
“I like the difference,” ZEX told him. “It's nice.”  
“Come on,” Wilde said, offering his arm to ZEX. “Let's hurry up and get back. Erich will talk my ear off if I'm not back as soon as possible.”  
“He's a lot like DAX, I think,” ZEX said, wrapping his arm around Wilde's offered arm and sliding off the counter. “Perhaps both of them can discuss security around us.”  
“Perhaps they can plan a wedding,” Wilde teased.  
ZEX chuckled and asked, “A wedding? So soon? We'd need a proposal party.”  
Wilde kissed his eyelid and told him, “I was joking. I want to take things slow.”  
“I'd be glad to never get married and just spend our time like this,” ZEX sighed. “Freedom from the pressure to commit to a wedding and produce the best-bred children.”  
“If you need to, we can adopt a cat and take family photos,” Wilde said, waling with ZEX.  
“I hate cats,” ZEX said, tendrils coiling tightly in disgust. “But a bird would be nice.”  
Wilde laughed and led ZEX out of their room.

* * *

After an awkward breakfast with the VUX queen—who Wilde swore looked as close to the “cat that ate the canary” grin as a VUX could get—ZEX took his arm. Together, they stepped out into the daylight and boarded the little landing craft.  
Wilde smiled the entire ride up to the VUX flagship, ignoring Erich's questions about VUX accommodations and concerns about his health.


End file.
